Web feeding apparatus for tube and bag making machines



A. FINKE Nov. 22, 1966 WEB FEEDING APPARATUS FOR TUBE AND BAG MAKING MACHINES Filed Sept. 8, 1964 United States Patent i()v 3,286,897 WEB FEEDING APPARATUS FOR TUBE AND BAG MAKING MACHINES Arno Finke, Lengerich, Westphalia, Germany, assignor to Windmller & Hlscher Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 394,870 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 25, 1963, W 35,314 2 Claims.` (Cl. 226-111) 'I'his invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture of pieces of tubing from one or more Webs, which have been wound in single-ply -form on supply rolls. In known apparatus of this kind, the feed rolls are arranged in different ways. In a first embodiment, there is only one pair of feed rolls, which is disposed behind the tube forming station in the apparatus. Hence, this pair of feed rolls must exert the entire tension for pulling the web from the roll, around various dellecting rollers and through the tube forming station. The tension required being relatively large, the web is frequently torn in the apparatus, particularly when the Web is weakened by transverse perforation lines or when papers are processed which have only a low tensile strength. In this connection, sudden fluctuations in the web tension are particularly undesirable. Such fluctuations may occur particularly when non-circular supply rolls are used and also as a result of the penetration of the perforating knives.

In order to maintain a lower web tension and to keep -any fluctuations in tension due to non-circular supply rolls from the apparatus, so that tearing of the web is avoided as far as possible, it has already been disclosed (German patent specification 680,151)`to provide in addition to the pair of feed rolls disposed behind the tube forming station another pair of feed rolls disposed at the entrance of the web to the apparatus. In this embodiment, the means for driving the pair of feed rolls disposed behind the tube forming station incorporates a friction coupling, which compensates any difference between the peripheral velocities of the two pairs of :feed rolls. In order to avoid the webtension in the tube forming station from being aiected by the severing of a length of tubing from the front end of theV web by the tear-olf device provided for this purpose, which would be possible owing to the friction coupling provided in the means for driving the pair of feed rolls disposed behind ,the .tube forming station, this known embodiment of the apparatus comprises a pair of nip rolls, which closely succeed the pair of feed rollsY driven by the frictional coupling and act on the web only at the instant at which a length of tubing is being severed. The provision of this pair of nip rolls, which grip the web and prevent a transmission of tension from the tear-off device into the tube forming station, complicates the apparatus and extends it in length. i

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for the continuous manufacture of pieces of tubing, which apparatus is so desired that the pair of nip rolls which are used in the known apparatus described last and which do not constantly act on the web can be eliminated whereas the advantages of this apparatus over the known apparatus described first need not be abandoned.

In an apparatus of the type described initially -hereinbefore, which comprises, in addition to the pair of feed rolls disposed in the feeding direction behind the tube forming station, at least one further pair of feed rolls between the supply station and the tube forming station, this object is accomplished according to the invention in that an interlocking drive connection is provided between the two pairs of feed rolls, and the drive connection between the pairs of feed rolls incorporates a preferably continuously adjustable change-speed transmission. As

3,286,897 Patented Nov. 1966 f. ICC

- posed at the entrance of the web into the machine Vavoid in known manner any adverse influence of changes in the web tension due to a non-circularity of the supply roll. As the drive of one pair of feed rolls is derived from the other pair of feed rolls, a change of the peripheral velocity of one pair will simultaneously and automatically result in the desired change of the peripheral velocity of the other pair. The change-speed transmission incorporated in the drive connection serves for maintaining a desired web tension in the device by providing for a desired appropriate relation between the peripheral velocities `of the two pairs of feed rolls. The preferably con'- tinuously adjustable change-speed transmission may be adjusted in known manner by hand or with the aid of a controller. It is particularly advantageous if the changespeed transmission consists in a manner known per 'se of a differential, which has an input shaft connected to one pair of feed rolls and an output shaft connected to the other pair of feed rolls, the third member of the differential being driven by the output member of the differential through the intermediary of an adjustable friction lgearing. In such an arrangement, the power for driving one pair of feed rolls is transmitted only by the interlocking differential and only the relatively small controlling power is transmitted by the friction gearing connected to said differential.

An illustrative embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a diagnamm-atic side elevation showing the illustrative embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is an elevation of section II of FIG. 1, shown on an enlarged scale, and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line II--III of FIG. 2.

rIlhe path of the single-ply paper web 1 l ygli the appanatus according to the invention is shown in dash-dot lines in FIG. 1. The 'web v1 is withdrawn vby a pair of auxiliary feed rolls 2, 3 from a supply roll, not shown. Ilhe further feeding of the web tln'ou'gh the apparatus i-s effected by a pair of feed moll-s 4, 5. The feed roll 4 driven by mhe main drive of the machine y'gears 6, 7. A gear, not shown, which is mounted on vthe shaft of the feed roll 4, is in .toothed .mesh with -a gear, also not shown, which is mounted on the shaftof the feed roll 5, so that the latter is driven at the same peripheral velocity -as the roll 4.

Considered n tihe direction of movement of the web, a device 8 rfor applying a longitudinally extending aid- -hesive band to one edge of the paper web 1 is disposed in the appanatus behind the pair of auxiliary -feed 'Dolls 2, 3. The adhesive applicator is succeeded by a perforati-ng device 9 for forming transverse perforation lines in the web at points spaced apart .by the length of the pieces of tubing Ito be made. 'The perforating devi-ce 9 is sucoeeded by the tube forming station 10, which may be designed in known manner and for this reason is indicated only by a deflecting roller. In this tube foaming station, the side portions of the web are backfolded on the central portion so that the edge provided with the longitudinal adhesive band engages the edge of the other backfolded side portion and `the edges are adhesively connected. The fold- O ing cylinders, not shown, which serve :to form pieces of tubing into bags, are preceded bypylinder segments, also not shown, which sever from the tube web individual pieces of Itubing having the length whiclh has been predetermined :by the perforations. The l. distance of 'the ucylinder segments from the pair of feed rolls 4, is somewhat langer than the length of the longest .pieces of tubing to be made so that in the manufacture of long pieces of .tubing `the pair of feed rolls 4, 5 serve at the same :time as Vretaining rolls wlhen a piece of tubing is to be severed. When itis desired ,to make shorter or very short pieces of tubing, fso that there 'are two or more :transverse perforation lines between .the cylinder segments and the pai-r of feed rolls 4, 5, i't may .be necessary to provide at least one separ'ate of retaining rolls, which are spaced from the cylinder segments by a distance wlhich is somewhat larger than the length of the piece of tubi-ng to -be made, so that .pieces of tubing will be severed only along `the next transverse line offweakness rather than along one of the following lines.l f In the presentexample, the pair of auxiliary `f feed rolls 2, .3 are driven bythe drive means for the pair of feed rolls 4, 5.` In Ithe illustrative embodiment, the shaft of the feed roll 4 carries a bevel gear 11, which is in mesh with a ,bevel 'gear 12.v The `bevel gear 12 is secured to one end of the universal joint shaft 13, which has secured to its other end a bevel gear 14. The auxiliary feed roll 3 is duiven from the bevel gear 14 by means of a device 15 for controlling the .peripheral velocity of the auxiliary feed roll., 'Ihe auxiliary feed roll 2 is driven from the auxiliary feed roll 3 Iby means of a pair of gears, not shown. The controller 15 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 2 and .3.` The bevel gear 14 drives -a bevel xgear 16, which is freely rotatably and axially non-ldisplacea-bly mounted on the shaft 17 of the auxiliary feed roll 3. The bevel gear 16' is lfirmly connected to the input sun wheel 19 of a bevel gear dilferental. The planet wheels 20 and 21 of this differential are carried by a planetwheel carrier 22, which constitutes-a worm wheel. 19, the planet wheelcarrier 22 is' rotatably mounted on the shaft 17. On the other hand, the output sun wheel 23 is xedly connected to the shaft 17. A face Wheel 24 is connected to the output sun wheel and serves for driving the friction wheel 25, which is nonnotatably mounted on the pinion-shaft 26. One end of .the pinion shaft is not toothed xand is rotatably and axially non-disp'l-aceablyk mounted' in an adjusting member 27. Power is transmitted from `the friction wheel 25 by way of the pinion shaft- 26 and a gear 28 to a'gear 29, which is ixedly oonnected .to the worm 30.I 'I'he Wonm 30 drives .the worm wheel formed by the planet wheel canrier 22 of the bevel gear differential.

, A rotation of the planet. wheel carrier 22 varies in known m-anner ythe output speed relative .to the input speed of the differential. Different speeds are imparted to the friction wheel depending on its distance from the center of the liaoe Wheel 24, the peripheral speed of the friction wheel 25 obviously increasing and decreasing with Just as 'the bevel gears 16 and its distance from the center.` The distan-ce of the friction wheel from the center of theface wheel is effected `by the Wxhen the operator states that the web tension in the tube 1 forming station is too high or too low, :he can adjust a desired web tension operating the Ihandwheel 33.`

The controller may be supplemented by a known servo arrangement for an automatic adjustment of `.the desired web tension.

What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for the manufacture of paper tube sec- .tions from a web material, said apparatus comprising 4a 1 supply station from which at least one web is unwound, a tubefforming station in which said web .is formed into a tube, at least .two pairs of continuous feed rolls for un- Winding said web from said supply station and for feeding it through said apparatus, one of said pairs of feed rolls Ibeing arranged downstream from said .tube-forming station, the other being `arranged upstream from said tubeforming station and downstream from said supply station', means for driving one pair of said feed Erolls, a tooth gearing driving connection interlocking said pairs of feed rolls and`including change` speed tooth `gearing of the positive infinitely variable type, and means for'oontrolling the change speed y gearing for varying the power transmission between said pairs of Ifeed rolls to keep said web taut.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the driving connection consists of a differential, ywhich has an input shaft connected to one pair of feed rolls and an voutput shaft connected to the other pair of feed rolls, the third member of the differential constitutingA output member of the differential through ythe intermediary of an adjustable friction gearing.

References Cited by the Examiner v UNITED STATES PATENTS v933,390 9/1909 Cummings 226-111 1,624,223 .4/1927 nakin-. 226-111` 1,836,279 12/1931 :1201666111l 226-178` 1,931,034 f 10/1933 muevan 226-178 v1,939,113 12/1933 Ferns 226-111 x 2,052,255- Y s/1936 shone 226-1881x ,2,334,074 11/1943 Coyr 226-111 x A3,119,537-y 1/1964gsm1ts 226-111 -3,155,433` 1l/1964 121611101166 226-111x` 13,176,543 `4/1965 Moore et a1. 226-111 x 3,224,830 -12/1965 Mitchell 226--111 X M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner. A. N. KNowLEs, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER TUBE SECTIONS FROM A WEB MATERIAL, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A SUPPLY STATION FROM WHICH AT LEAST ONE WEB IS UNWOUND, A TUBE-FORMING STATION IN WHICH SAID WEB IS FORMED INTO A TUBE, AT LEAST TWO PAIRS OF CONTINUOUS FEED ROLLS FOR UNWINDING SAID WEB FROM SAID SUPPLY STATION AND FOR FEEDING IT THROUGH SAID APPARATUS, ONE OF SAID PAIRS OF FEED ROLLS BEING ARRANGED DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID TUBE-FORMING STATION, THE OTHER BEING ARRANGED UPSTREAM FROM SAID TUBEFORMING STATION AND DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID SUPPLY STATION, MEANS FOR DRIVING ONE PAIR OF SAID FEED ROLLS, A TOOTH GEARING DRIVING CONNECTION INTERLOCKING SAID PAIRS OF FEED ROLLS AND INCLUDING CHANGE SPEED TOOTH GEARING OF THE POSITIVE INFINITELY VARIABLE TYPE, AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE CHANGE SPEED GEARING FOR VARYING THE POWER TRANSMISSION BETWEEN SAID PAIRS OF FEED ROLLS TO KEEP SAID WEB TAUT. 